The Today show last week had an interesting segment on happiness that started me thinking about what makes people happy. All of the people interviewed by Matt Lauer said similar things about what makes people happy: relationships, community, self-expression, giving back, pursuing a higher calling. As I was listening to them, it became clear that everything they were discussing has been enhanced by the Internet.

The Today show last week had an interesting segment on happiness that started me thinking about what makes people happy.  All of the people interviewed by Matt Lauer said similar things about what makes people happy:  relationships, community, self-expression, giving back, pursuing a higher calling.  As I was listening to them, it became clear that everything they were discussing has been enhanced by the Internet.To wit, here are four reasons that the Internet has helped make people happier:*     Relationships and community.  The more relationships you have and the more communities you participate in, the happier you are.  And more than anything else, the Internet enhances the power of connection.  It helps you stay in touch with distant friends and family, make new friends around the world, and create broad communities of people with similar interests or bonds through areas like AOL Hometown, Craiglist, AIM, eBay, or MySpace.  *     Giving back.  People who show their gratitude and give back to the world around them are happiest.  Over the past few years, the Internet has become the leading vehicle for people to make contributions, of money and time, to improve the world around them.  When Hurricane Katrina hit, online users donated hundreds of millions of dollars in just days to help, and private donations for the Asian tsunami — mostly given online — rivaled those of governments.  And Network for Good connects people with the charities they want to support, and charities with the donors and volunteers they need.     *     Pursue a higher calling.  Whether your calling is religious, political, scientific, professional, academic, or philosophical, the Web is the perfect enabler.  Find people who share your interest, build a community, track down the answers, and keep your friends and family — new and old — informed of your progress.  *     Express yourself.  We all want our voices to be heard, and the Internet is the largest microphone ever invented.  From personal Web pages to blogs, social networking communities, photo sharing sites, and podcasts…. they are all new and wonderful tools that give every person the ability to share their uniqueness with the rest of the world.USA Today had another interesting perspective on what made people happy a couple years ago.